Polar Vortex could give you an electric shock

Published 11:00 am, Wednesday, February 5, 2014

After the Polar Vortex and the Deep Freeze of 2014 caused ice-encrusted windshields, gray days and cold-nose nights, monthly electric bills could be up by about 25 percent compared to the first month of 2013.

Be prepared for electric bill shock.

When the temperature drops outside, our uncomfortable interior selves nudge up the thermostat.

That translates to kilowatt hours of higher electric demand. It's why your bill is a lot higher than it was last year at this time.

Entergy Texas switched transmission to a multi-state organization late in 2013 and doesn't have an exact comparison of electric demand for its Texas customers from January 2013 to this January, said Debi Derrick, Entergy Texas spokeswoman.